Free Your Mind

I didn't update my information with the new card(s), so instead of renewing my dues for July, I decided to cancel my membership with the ASMP (American Society of Media Photographers . Then again, I've debated this move for quite some time, and I've been an ASMP professional member for 8 years. Hard to believe that, in that time, there was no interaction with members of the Central Virginia chapter in Richmond (my chapter). In the beginning, I tried a few times to reach out to fellow members and board members about becoming a member, but I have received no response. It took the National organization reaching out to 2 other photographers from 2 different states/chapters to look at my website and sponsor me for membership, not the Virginia chapter I intended to join. Then again, I never had any contact in my group about seminars, meetings and/or events, but I have never received a response. Their Facebook fan page, ASMP Central Virginia, as well as their personal Facebook page for the ASMP Central Virginia chapter, hasn't been active in years, and their website on the national page has had no activity whatsoever, so yeah, it was an easy choice to make.

Am I bad-mouthing the national organization? No, I’m just sharing my experience of a chapter of this organization. I’m not saying this organization is a bad fit for any creative; it depends on whether a chapter is actively engaged with its members or just there like a cardboard cutout of a police car on the side of a road.

Chapters I have seen active on social media every month in their own cities or states without fail include Colorado, Ohio, Chicago/Midwest, and Connecticut. It’s a shame others fall short. When I was younger and starting my photography journey, I knew of the ASMP as defenders of photographers’ rights, and through several notable photographers admired, such as Robert Capa, Richard Avedon, Joe McNally, Mark Seliger and Gordon Parks. I too wanted to be part of something bigger; I wanted to network with others on a larger scale. but I was not ready, and my portfolio was nearly nonexistent.

The American Society of Media Photographers as a whole is a wonderful organization with a strong reputation. Would I recommend joining a chapter? I’d suggest checking the chapter’s social media to see if it’s active or just sitting there. If it looks like an absentee parent who left for milk and cigarettes, they probably aren’t coming back.